Sunday, June 26, 2011

Heads up Cebuanos and tourists of Cebu, Cebu Pacific just announced a seat sale for their Cebu Hub.

According to the e-mail that I received yesterday (June 25), 18 destinations from the airline's Cebu Hub is on Cebu Pacific promo fares from June 25 to June 26 (or until available seats last). The Cebu Pacific promo fares are for those who are traveling from Cebu between August 1 and September 30, 2001.

There is no doubt about it. Filipino kids love Jollibee. I don't know what the big red mascot has but kids get excited whenever he is around. My beloved's niece always want to pose a picture with Jollibee whenever she got a chance to eat at Jollibee. I believe that my beloved's niece is just one of the many kids who love Jollibee. Heck, I even have a colleague that did not outgrew his love for Jollibee.

Because of this love to Jollibee, it is not surprising that many kids are requesting to have their birthday party at Jollibee. The admin of Jollibee knows this fact that's why they made it easier for mommies and daddies to plan the Jollibee Kiddie Party. Jollibee set up a separate website for parties at Jollibee.

Are you a mom or a dad who is planning for the birthday party of your child? Are you wondering what Jollibee package that are available for your budget.? Let me help you decide.

There are five Jollibee food packages to choose from. Here are the five food packages available for a Jollibee Kiddie Party:

4. Jollibee Package 4

5. Jollibee Package 5

The fifth food package is a create-your-own food package. The requirement for this Jollibee package is that the minimum food requirement is 4,000 Php.

So, there you go. Those are the available party packages for a Jollibee Kiddie Party. So, if you are planning to have birthday party at Jollibee, I suggest that you visit Jollibee Kids Party website. The website is easy to use and you can have a estimate of the cost of Jollibee Kiddie Party just filling the form found on that website.

It is noted, however, that the party packages listed here is for Metro Manila branches only. Ask the Jollibee branch nearest to you if you live outside of Metro Manila.

Friday, June 24, 2011

Last Wednesday (June 22), I received an e-mail from Cebu Pacific. The message goes like this “Fly to our newest destination Tawi-Tawi for only P488!”

I said, “Wow!” because I am thinking that I can reach Tawi-Tawi from my Manila on a single flight because of Cebu Pacific promo fares to Tawi-Tawi.

Reading the e-mail made me realize that I am celebrating too early. The 488 pesos Cebu Pacific promo fares are for flights between Zamboanga City and Tawi-Tawi and not between Manila and Tawi-Tawi. So, this means that I need to go to Zamboanga City first before I can avail those Cebu Pacific promo fares.

The seat sale price for the Zamboanga to Tawi-Tawi route is 25% less than the lowest year-round fare for this route. Tawi-Tawi is the 50th destination and the 77th route of Cebu Pacific Airline. The Zamboanga – Tawi-Tawi route will operate daily starting October 14 this year.

Another new route is the Cagayan de Oro – Iloilo route, which also start operating on October 14 and have scheduled flights every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Also announced in the e-mail is the Cebu Pacific promo fares of 688 pesos for travel from Zamboanga City to Davao and Cebu, Manila to Cagayan de Oro, and Cagayan de Oro to Iloilo.

Manila to Zamboanga and Davao flights are also on seat sale for 888 pesos for travels on August 1 to September 30 for the year 2011.

So, are traveling to Tawi-Tawi, Davao, Cagayan de Oro and Zamboanga? What are you waiting for? Avail of the Cebu Pacific promo fares by visiting the Cebu Pacific website.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

One day, I encountered the acronym WTO DSU. I am familiar with the acronym WTO but I don't know what DSU means. According to Wikipedia, WTO DSU means World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement Understanding.

World Trade Organization or WTO is an international organization that aims to improve trade between member nations by developing policies that are advantageous for all member nations. Because WTO is composed various nations, then it is normal that disputes arise between member nations.

The acronym DSU from the WTO DSU stands for Dispute Settlement Understanding. The WTO DSU was developed to settle disputes between member nations and ensure the stability of global economy. Disputes arises when a member nation adopted a policy or policies that deprive another nation of benefits that it is so entitled according to existing trade agreements. The aggrieved nation is allowed to file a formal complaint to the World Trade Organization regarding the said policy or policies. After the complaint was filed, the WTO DSU will be used to settle the dispute.

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The whole process of WTO DSU can last approximately around 1 year to 3 months, that is if the member nation that has raised the questionable policy appealed before the WTO Dispute Settlement Board.

Monday, June 20, 2011

The Metro Rail Transit (MRT), Light Rail Transit (LRT) and the Philippine National Railway Corporation (PNRC) are the three train companies that are operating in the Philippines. I already rode the trains of MRT and LRT. I am yet to ride the train of PNRC and I want to experience riding on PNRC's sleeper coach on a travel from Manila to Bicolandia.

Riding a train is just a normal and boring experience for people like me. I climb the train station, pay the ticket and then board the train. On ordinary days, a typical train rider has to experience a scene like this:
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The photo above shows what is inside a MRT coach during rush hours. It is crowded and you will be crushed if you stand near the train doors.

Riding a train is just normal experience and I never thought that there are groups of people who enjoyed seeing, photographing and reading about railways and trains. These people are usually called as trainspotters. According to Wikipedia, trainspotters are different from railfans though both of them are interested on trains and other things related to the operation of the railway network.

Trainspotters are people who aims to “spot” (hence the name trainspotters) trains or any type of rolling stocks depending on the interest of the trainspotter. Some trainspotters spot trains of particular type, or of particular railway company, etc.

Trainspotters, for me, have a unique kind of hobby and only few people have such kind of hobby. I am yet to meet a Filipino trainspotter. However, I had a friend in Facebook who is part of a society of railfans and are interested with the railway system of the Philippines.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Coron is a municipality in Palawan Province and is composed of many islands. The main part of the town of Coron is on the southeastern half of Busuanga Island. Being a town that is composed of many islands makes it a good place for beaches and good resorts. Coron is popular for its clear seas, pristine beaches and untouched environment. I am hoping to reach Coron in the future just to see the beautiful things that it offers.

As for now, I will content myself in giving a list of three Coron Resorts.

1. KokosNuss Garden Resort

This is a Coron Resort that has a weird sounding name. But when you consider the fact that it KokosNuss Garden Resort is owned by two Germans, then you will see why the reason for the name. This Coron Resort is located on a hill about a kilometer away from the poblacion or center of Coron town. As the name implies, visitors of this Coron Resort will experience the relaxing ambiance of being in the middle of garden.

This Coron Resort have nipa huts as amenities for its visitors. This Coron resort has a garden restaurant where visitors can enjoy local, Asian and European cuisine.

2. El Rio y Mar Resort

Another Coron resort is El Rio y Mar Resort. This Coron resort is located about 30 minutes from the Busuanga Airport. The resort has an outdoor pool, billiard tables and massage areas. Visitors to this Coron can enjoy fishing and sailing. The rooms in this resort can only accommodate maximum of two persons. This Coron resort offers an airport shuttle for its visitors.

3. Club Paradise Resort Palawan

This Coron resort has 52 rooms available for its guests. Club Paradise Resort Palawan offers ballroom dancing, beach volleyball and billiard tables. This Coron resorts also has conference rooms that is suitable for out-of-town forums or seminars.

Aside from the normal amenities, this Coron resort also offers tours to Coron Island and Caluit Island. The resort is also good for diving enthusiasts because it offers diving facilities for its guests.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Orocan is the most popular brand when it comes to plastic wares and furnitures made of plastic. Of course there are brands that are competing against Orocan in the Philippine local market and that is Zooey.

Zooey touts itself as the “maker of quality plastic.” Just like Orocan, Zooey has a wide variety of plastic-made items and one of those items is the Zooey Golden Box.

Zooey Golden Box is not actually made of gold nor just a big box. It is a cabinet with six drawers. In the past, when we need a cabinet, all my father has to do is make one. However, now, it is easier to buy a cabinet than to make one. That is why when my mother needs a cabinet, she just went to the palengke (market) and buy her cabinet from the local stores.

The price of Zooey Golden Box is around 1,000 pesos but you can haggle with the store owner to lower the price. The plastic cabinets can be used to store many things like clothes, papers, etc. The top two drawers have a lock but can’t be relied upon to secure valuable items because the lock can easily be opened by any item that can fit in the keyhole.

Zooey Golden Box is a fine product but because it is made of plastic, this cabinet is fragile and can be broken into bits. However, if you are a sort of person who are careful then owning a Zooey Golden Box is not a problem.

Zooey Golden Box can be bought from the dry section of your local palengke or market.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Last week, I read about HIIT or High Intensity Interval Training from the blog of my friend FoongPC. According to him, he is doing HIIT routine to replace his routines for his exercise. FoongPC said that he likes HIIT routine because it saves time, strengthen the heart, helps him lose fat more effectively, helps him look younger and help him build a better looking body.

I believe that HIIT is a good form of exercise. A HIIT routine is composed of high intensity exercise followed by low intensity exercises that help the muscle and body recover from the high intensity exercise. Another good thing about HIIT routine is that it is not confined to only one form of exercise. You can apply HIIT routine to other activities like running, walking on the treadmill and other form of exercise. To help you in your exercise, here is my friend’s HIIT routine:

My friend’s HIIT Routine: Jogging or Running

HIIT routine for jogging or running is the one preferred by my friend. According to him, he start his HIIT routine by running fast for one minute. After that, we jog or walk moderately for 3 minutes. He alternate fast run and the moderate jog for 6 to 7 times. My friend said that HIIT routine for jogging or running quite demanding that is why he is only able to do it for 2 to 3 times per week.

Monday, June 13, 2011

PEX is an abbreviation for cross-linked polyethylene. PEX is usually used in tubing especially for the water system for residential and commercial purposes. PEX became popular because it is flexible and can be bent easily without breaking. Because of this, PEX tubes can easily transported without the need for it be cut into pieces just to fit inside containers. Also, PEX' flexibility means that it does not need any joints unlike metal and PVC pipes.

Crimping is a process of joining two pieces of metal or tubing by deforming one of the metals being joined like when joining a cartridge to the bullet. Another form of crimping is used in crimping PEX tubing wherein a metallic tube is used to join two PEX tubes.

Crimping PEX is very easy to do and the best way of joining two PEX tubes.

Monday, June 6, 2011

Phishing is a process of getting vital information like username and password by a hacker or identity thieves. Other vital information that is usually being stolen by phishers are social security numbers, credit card numbers, and financial information. Identity theft, phishing and related activities are quite active in the Internet and many people have been phished, especially those who are using social networking sites like Facebook. Another thing to consider that it is not only individual persons that were phished but also financial institutions, like banks, and other websites that are usually thought as well-protected from hackers.

Phishing, phished and phisher are words that are derived from fish. So for fishing we have phishing. For phished we have fished. For fisher we have phisher. So we can imagine that being phished is a sort situation where a phisher (fisher) got information from you that you don't normally revealed in public

Well, protected institutions have been phished, the question is can you avoid from also getting phished? The answer, of course, is “yes.” Preventing yourself from getting phished is actually simple yet many people forgot to do the simple things to protect themselves and their vital information.
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One way that people got phished is that they don't check if they are logging into the correct websites. This commonly happens on websites that requires you to put in your username and password like Facebook, Twitter, Paypal and your email. One modus operandi of Phishers is to create a bogus website that looks exactly the website that their victims expect. Phishers send email to their victim that purports to come from a trusted institution like banks or Paypal. The email contains links that leads to the bogus website and to trick the victim to enter his username and password.

One of the best way to prevent from getting phished is to check if you are logging into the right website. You can do this by looking at the address bar of your browser. The URL on the address bar should be the same as the URL of the website that you are logging into.

Another way of checking the website is by using the F-Secure Online Software, which can be used to verify if the website is safe or not. This online software is free and easy to use. All you have to do is to input the URL of the suspected website and then F-Secure will show if the website is safe.
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2. Do Check the Email that You Receive

Another way of getting phished is by sending personal information through email when you reply to questionable emails. Another modus operandi of phishers is to send emails to their victims. The email is formal and looks like legitimate emails coming from banks, Paypal or other institutions that phishers are using. These email always ask you to send your username and password because to fix your account, or to give you a bonus item, or whatever tricks that they place in the email. Never believe those email because banks, Paypal and other financial institutions already knows your username and password and there is no reason for them to ask for those information.

Another usual way of getting phished is when you input your credit card number on untrustworthy online shops or websites. Some websites ask you to put your credit card number so you can receive bonus items. You got phished the moment you bite in their “bonus item” lure and input you credit card information. As much as possible, avoid buying to untrustworthy online shops so to avoid from getting phished.

4. Avoid Getting Malwares

Malicious softwares or malwares are also being used by phishers to get valuable information. Malwares are automatically downloaded from untrustworthy websites like porn sites. Also, malwares can also be obtained by downloading free softwares because some phishers use these free softwares as a lure to let their malwares enter the computers of their victims. The moment the malware enter the computer, it will collect information in the computer and forward the information to the phisher via the Internet. To avoid getting phished by malware then I suggest that you refrain visiting untrustworthy websites and downloading freewares. Another way to avoid getting phished is to use softwares, like Spybot – Search and Destroy, to prevent malware from entering your computer.

5. Don't Place Valuable Information in Social Networking Sites

Social Networking Sites like Myspace and Facebook is considered as goldmine for phishers because people willingly place personal information in these websites. For example, in Facebook people have no qualms in placing their address, telephone number, cellphone number, email address and other valuable information. Facebook has history of questionable privacy policy and it was said that many personal information were gathered by identity theft and phishers from Facebook. To avoid getting phished in Facebook then I suggest that you refrain placing valuable information on Facebook and other social networking sites. Also, I suggest that you step-up your privacy settings in these social networking sites.

6. Don't Use Facebook Applications

One way that Facebook users got phished is true the numerous applications or apps that are being made in Facebook. To operate, these apps require access to the account of the Facebook users. Because of this, all information can easily be downloaded by phishers using these apps.

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Vigilance is needed whenever you are using the Internet because many people are out to get vital information so that they can steal your identity or steal money from your bank accounts. What I wrote here are few of the tips on preventing yourself from getting phished.

Friday, June 3, 2011

In a previous post, I gave out some tips on how to buy cell phone battery that may not be the original but cheap. In that post, I said that I bought a China-made Nokia Battery BP-5M after I discovered that the original Nokia Battery BP-5M is too expensive.

After 9 months of using my Nokia Battery BP-5M, maybe it is time for me to give out a review. The battery that I bought is the BP-5M battery that was made by Lim Hong. I bought the Nokia Battery BP-5M at a stall in SM so as to make sure that I will get a warranty if the battery that I bought malfunctioned.

The Lim Hong BP-5M battery functioned well since the time I bought it. That Nokia BP-5M Battery is not easily drained and can last for more than a day if I just use my cellular phone for sending text messages
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So far, my Lim Hong BP-5M battery is functioning well. Maybe the reason for this is because I make sure that I don’t overcharge it. I stop charging my cellular phone if I notice that the battery is already full.

Addendum:

July 24, 2011

I said in this review that my Lim Hong BP-5M battery is functioning well. However, this month I noticed some problems on my phone. My phone turn-off for no apparent reason. I am irritated each time that the phone turn-off suddenly while I am typing a text message. Sometimes my phone turn-off just seconds after I turned it on. I went to a technician to check the problem of my celphone. The technician said that the problem is my Lim Hong BP-5M battery. He said that Lim Hong is not a good brand. He told me to buy a battery with the brand name NYK.

If what the technician said is true then I can say that Lim Hong BP-5M battery is a failure. I will avoid buying any Lim Hong battery next time.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

My brother brought home a new cellular phone courtesy of Sun Network. The new phone is the black-colored MyPhone QT7 Duo. According to MyPhone website, the QT7 Duo is a music phone with trackball. MyPhone QT7 Duo costs 2,990 pesos according to the MyPhone website.

MyPhone QT7 Duo has qwerty keypad and is a dual sim phone. The screen of MyPhone QT7 Duo is a 240 by 320 pixels 2.2 inches pixels QVGA screen. The phone can connect via bluetooth and USB. According to the MyPhone website, the battery of this phone can last 6 hours talk time and 270 hours standby time. MyPhone QT7 Duo has a card slot for microSD so it can be used in storing photo and music files, specifically MP3 files that can be played by the music player in the phone.

MyPhone QT7 Duo also has a 2 megapixels camera located on the back that can be used for taking photos and videos. The phone can also be used as sound recorder and FM radio. Other applications like alarm clock, calculator, e-book reader, calendar etc. that can be found on other phones are also present in MyPhone QT7 Duo.

What's unique with MyPhone QT7 Duo or the MyPhone phones in general is that it contains the Pinoy App, which contains files that are distinctly Pinoy. What got my attention is the “My Faith” button inside the Pinoy App that contains prayers, the Rosary, Worship Songs, Mass Songs and other things that are related to the Christian Faith. This is unique because there are few companies out there that aren't afraid Faith in their products and MyPhone is one of those companies.

Other Applications available in MyPhone QT7 Duo is the App for Yahoo Messenger, Friendster, Facebook, Multiply, Twitter etc. However, I think that these Apps cannot be used because MyPhone QT7 Duo isn't WiFi enabled. You can only access the Internet through the expensive 3G and GPRS signal, which is not good considering that there are lots of phones out there that are WiFi enabled.

At a cost 2,990 pesos, I think that MyPhone QT7 Duo is not a bad buy. However, I believe that it would have been better if it is WiFi enabled.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

While I am doing some blog hopping, I happened to chance upon the term, “Thalassemia Trait.” What made me curious is the mysterious word Thalassemia. I did a Google search about Thalassemia Trait and this is what I found out:

1. Thalassemia is a term that was created from two Greek words thalassa (sea) and haema (blood). Thus, Thalassemia literally means seablood because many people who are in the Meditarrenean Sea have the disease called Thalassemia.

2. Thalassemia is a condition that affects the hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells that is used in delivering oxygen all throughout the body. Thus, any defect in hemoglobin results into Thalassemia.

3. Thalassemia trait or Thalassemia minor is a Thalassemia condition where one of the two beta globin fails to produce hemoglobin. Worse condition than Thalassemia trait is the Thalassemia major where both beta hemoglobin don't produce hemoglobin. The condition between Thalassemia trait and Thalassemia major is the Thalassemia intermedia.

4. Thalassemia trait, or Thalassemia in general, may have been developed in areas where malaria is prevalent. The reason for this is that Thalassemia causes red blood cells easy to disintegrate and this disintegration protects people from malaria. Thus, it may have been a sort of survival mechanism for people living in malaria infested regions. Population with Thalassemia trait, or Thalassemia in general, are high in areas that are humid and infested with malaria.

5. Thalassemia trait is not a harsh condition. More focus is given to people with Thalassemia intermedia and Thalassemia major.

So, those are some information that I discovered about Thalassemia trait. I never knew that there is such condition and according to Wikipedia, there are millions of people that have Thalassemia trait and the other forms of Thalassemia. Some people don't know that they have Thalassemia trait. Now, this make me wonder, how many of my friends have Thalassemia trait.